By Astrid GalvanJournal Staff Writer
The handgun Robert Reza used to shoot six people and himself at Emcore two weeks ago was purchased legally, police said Thursday.
Albuquerque police said Reza purchased the Springfield .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun May 6 at Precision Arms in Albuquerque after he passed a criminal background check mandated by federal law.
Also Thursday, police released four of the dozens of phone calls that frantic employees made the day of the shootings.
In one call, a man who identified himself as "Johnny" whispered to a female emergency dispatcher that he was hiding behind a desk. The man breathed heavily while explaining that he heard shots fired and that people were running out of the building.
"We need someone here now," he said.
The dispatcher can be heard telling the man to stay where he was. She said she had to get off the line, because several other calls were coming in, but instructed him to call back if he saw the shooter.
Police said dispatchers received 30 calls from employees around 9 a.m. July 12. Officers responded within minutes.
Reza, 37, shot three women — including his target, ex-girlfriend Adrienne Basciano — outside the building. Michele Turner, 36, and Sharon Cunningham, 47, were killed.
Basciano was seriously injured but was released from the hospital Thursday.
Once inside the building, Reza shot 54-year-old Malissia Mai and Rodney Noble and Dixie Colvin, both 58. All three were treated and released from University of New Mexico Hospital. Reza killed himself in an office in the building, police said.